Combined ironing-table and step-ladder.



C. B. SMITH.

COMBINED IRONING TABLE AND STEP LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED was. 1915.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. R. SMITH.

COMBINED IRONING TABLE AND STEP LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-5, I915- 1L2l6 176,

' Patented Feb. 13,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

61mm 63H finrzini.

covers: it. sivrrrrr, or rnnnrour, OHIO.

COMBINED IRONING-TABLE AND STEP-LADDER.

minute;

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 13, 191?,

Application filed August 5, 1915. Serial No. 43,807.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, Covnn'r B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Freeport, in the county of Harrison and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Ironing-Tables and Step-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in convertible step ladders and ironing tables, the primary object of my invention being the provision of a device of the above described character which, when not in use for either purpose, may be folded into compact form and which will be rigid and strong either when used as a step ladder or as an ironing table.

In this connection, I construct a step ladder having swingingly connected front and rear frame members, the front frame member being formed in upper and lower hingedly connected portions each of which is provided with certain of the steps making up the ladder and the upper portion of which also carries the ironing board.

In connection with the above structure, a still further object of my invention consists in the provision of means for automatically locking the ironing board to the lower portion of the forward frame member when the frame members are in alinement with each other with the result that the ironing board is not only held against displacement, when the device is used as a step ladder, but also with the result that the locking of the ironing board serves to lock the portions of the forward frame member together and in ali-nement with each other.

In this connection, a still further object of my invention consists in the provision of means for automatically locking the lower portion of the forward frame member to the intermediate portion of the rear frame member when the device is in use as an ironing table this, as a result, also looking the ironing board in horizontal position and against movement.

In this connection, my invention further comprehends a simple and effective releasing mechanism for springing the rear frame member out of engagement with the lock of the lower portion of the forward frame member in order that the device may be folded when not in use.

With these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illus trated in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved ladder and ironing table, showing the position of the parts when the device is used as a step ladder;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the device in the position shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device used as an ironing table;

Fig. 1 is a central, vertical, longitudinal sectional View of the device in this pos1- tion.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Broadly speaking, my invention comprehends a rear frame member 10, a forward frame member consisting of an upper portion 11 and lower portion 12 and an ironing board 13. The upper portion of the forward frame member includes parallel spaced side bars or upper legs 14 connected at their upper ends by the upper step 15 of the ladder and intermediate its length by additional steps 16 which project at their rear edges beyond the rear edges of the upper leg portions 14. The ironing board 13 is secured to the rear edges of the steps 16 and its upper face lies flush with the rear face of the step 15, the free end of the ironing board projecting a considerable distance beyond the iow'er ends of the leg portions 14, which ends are preferably cut at an angle, as shown, in order to provide a neat structure when the device is in use as an ironing table as will appear from Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Brace blocks 17 are secured against the outer faces of the leg portions 14: and to the inner or lower face of the ironing board, and the rear legs 18, constituting the chief part of the rear frame member of the ladder, are pivotally connected at their upper ends to these brace blocks, the lower end of these legs 18 being connected by a transverse brace 19.

' Pivot bolts 20 hingedly connect the upper ends of lower forward leg portions 21 to the lower ends of the forward leg portions 1 1, the pivotally connected ends of such leg portions overlapping each other with the lower forward portions outside of the upper leg portions in order that the lower part of the ladder may be wider than the upper portion to give it a more firm foundation. These lower leg portions also carry and are braced by a plurality of steps or treads 22 corresponding to the steps or treads 16 and extending at their rear edges beyond the rear edges of the legs 21. The lower legs 21 are, also preferably braced adjacent their lower ends by crossed diagonal braces 23 and the lower forward leg portions are conneeted to the rear legs 18 by hinge braces 24: pivoted at their ends to the forward and rear legs and hinged intermediate their length, as shown at 25, to break upwardly.

In order to hold the upper and lower portions of the forward frame member in alinement with each other, both when the device is not in use and when it is being employed as a ladder, I provide a keeper strip 26 which is secured transversely to that face of the ironing board adjacent the steps of the ladder near the free end of the ironing board and in such a position and at such an angle as to swing directly beneath the lowermost step 22 when the forward frame members or portions are in alinement with each other, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper face of the lowermost step 22 is formed throughout its length with a groove or channel 27 in which seats a spring bar 28, either of wood or resilient metal which carries, intermediate its length, a locking. pin 29 adapted to engage in an opening 30 formed in the keeper bar 26, being forced into on gagement in such opening by the member 28. The member 28 is secured in place by pins or other suitable devices 31 passed through slots formed in its ends and into the step 22, these slots permitting the up-bowing of the member to release the pin from the opening 30, when desired. To facilitate this releasing, the upper face of the step 22 is formed with a recess 32 communicating with the intermediate portion of the channel 2"? in order that the operator may readily reach under one edge of the member 28 to raise it. To facilitate the automatic engagement of the pin 29 in'the opening 30, the intermediate portion of the keeper plate has its upper face beveled, as shown at 33 in Fig. 2, in order that the pin may readily ride over such beveled face.

Secured to the outer faces of the lower forward legs 21 are vertically spaced stop blocks 3 1 and 35, the latter or upper stop -lll00li$ being wedge-shaped with their inshould possess suliicient resiliency to permit them to ride over the inclined upper faces of the upper stop blocks 35 in a manner which will be later more fully explained. Releasing arms 36 are pivoted to the rear edge of that step 22 adjacent the stop blocks 35 and at their free outer ends are provided with cam faces 37 which, when the opposite ends of the members are swung inwardly and downwardly, will project past the outer faces of the leg members 21, for a reason which will be later explained. These releasing members or arms are preferably so proportioned that before their cam heads beyond the outer faces of the legs 21, their opposite ends will overlap each other in order that pressure exerted against one of them may act equally upon both.

In describing the operation of my im proved step ladder and ironing table, I will first assume that the device is in compact position as it would be when not in use, will then explain the manner of employing it as a step ladder, then the manner of converting it into an ironing board, and subsequently the manner of returning it to its original folded position. When not in use, the upper and lower portions of the forward frame member are locked in alinement with each other by engagement of the locking pin 29 in the keeper bar 26, in the manner shown in Figs, 1 and 2, and the rear legs 18 bear against the rear edges of the stop blocks 3% and 35, the hinged braces 2 1 being broken upwardly and the lower end of the ironing board 18 being immediately above the cross brace 19 of the rear frame member. der, it is only necessary to swing the rear legs backwardly to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the braces 24, of course, opening up automatically during swinging of the rear legs and ultimately locking the ladder in position. During this time, the ironing board remains locked to the lower forward frame member and the inner ends of the members 36 are held against any possible outward swinging movement by step blocks 38 secured between the lower ends of the upper leg portions 1% and the ironing board 13.

1f the device is to be used as an ironing board or table, and is folded, as first assumed, the first step toward bringing it into condition for use consists in the above described operation of opening it up toprovide a step ladder. After this operation has been completed, the latch member 28 is raised to free the ironing board from the lower forward frame member when the upper frame member may be swung rearwardly upon the upper end of the rear frame member as a pivot, the intermediate portions of the rear leg members sliding downwardly over the outer faces of the To utilize the device as a step ladlower forward leg members and finally over the inclined faces of the upper stop blocks 35, being spread during such movement and ultimately springing back to seat between the upper and lower stop blocks 35 and 3%, in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. When so seated, the rear frame member and lower portion of the forward frame member are rigidly locked by the stop blocks and by the extended braces and as a result the upper forward frame member and ironing board carried thereby are rigidly held by the upper ends of the rear frame member and lower forward frame member.

To return the device to normal or folded position, from the position shown in Figs. 3 and l, the inner ends of the levers or arms 36 are simultaneously swung downwardly in order that their cam faces 37 may be swung out to engage the inner faces of the rear legs 18 to force them away from the forward legs 21 and out of engagement with the stop blocks 85. hen so moved outwardly, it will be clear that the free end of the ironing board may be swung downwardly, the lower ends of the forward and rear frame members moving toward each other until the ironing board engages the lowermost step 22 and is locked in position.

Although I have illustrated and described my invention in all its details of construction, it will of course be understood that I do not wish to be limited to such details as various minor changes, within the scope of the appended claims may be made at any time without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A combined step ladder and ironing table including upper and lower forward frame members pivotally connected, a rear frame member pivotally connected at its upper end to the upper end of the upper forward frame member, hinged braces pivotally connecting the forward and rear frame members, and an ironing board rigidly secured to one of the forward frame members and detachably secured to the other forward frame member nearthe free end of the latter to hold the forward frame members in alinement.

2. A combined step ladder and ironing table including an upper forward frame member, a lower forward frame member pivoted to the upper frame member, a rear frame member pivoted to the upper frame member, hinged braces connecting the lower frame member and rear frame member, an ironing board secured to the upper frame member, locking means for detachably securing the ironing board to the lower frame member, the proportioning of the frame members being such that the upper end of the lower frame member may, upon release of the ironing board therefrom, be swun between the sides of the rear frame member to bring the upper frame member and ironing board into a horizontal position.

3. A combined step ladder and ironing table including an upper forward frame member, a lower forward frame member pivoted to the upper frame member, a rear frame member pivoted to the upper frame member, hinged braces connecting the lower frame member and rear frame member, an ironing board secured to the upper frame member, locking means for detachably securing the ironing board to the lower frame member, the proportioning of the frame members being such that the upper end of the lower frame member may, upon release of the ironing board therefrom, be swung between the sides of the rear frame member to bring the upper frame member and ironing board into a horizontal position,-and means for locking the parts in such position.

4. A combined step ladder and ironing table including an upper forward frame member, a lower forward frame member pivoted to the upper frame member, a rear frame member pivoted to the upper frame member, hinged braces connecting the lower frame member and rear frame member, an ironing board secured to the upper frame member, locking means for detachably securing the ironing board to the lower frame member, the proportioning of the frame members being such that the upper end of the lower frame member may, upon release of the ironing board therefrom, be swung between the sides of the rear frame member to bring the upper frame member and ironing board into a horizontal position, and spaced locking blocks carried by the lower frame member and adapted to seat the sides of the rear frame member to lock the frame members in such position.

5. A combined step ladder and ironing table including an upper forward frame member, a lower forward frame member pivoted to the upper frame member, a rear frame member pivoted to the upper frame member, hinged braces connecting the lower frame member and rear frame member, an ironing board secured to the upper frame member, locking means for detachably se curing the ironing board to the lower-frame member, the proportioning of the frame members being such that the upper end of the lower frame member may, upon release of the ironing board therefrom, be swung between the sides of the rear frame member to bring the upper frame member and ironing board into a horizontal position, spaced locking blocks carried by the lower frame member and adapted to seat the sides of the rear frame member to lock the frame memhere in such position, and means for springing the sides of the rear frame member apart to free them from the locking blocks.

6. A combined step ladder and ironing table including an upper forward frame member, a lower forward frame member pivoted to the upper frame member, a rear the lower frame member may, upon release of the ironing board therefrom, be swung between the sides of the rear frame member to bring the upper frame member and ironing board into a horizontal position, spaced locking blocks carried by the lower frame member and adapted to seat the sides of the rear frame member to lock the frame memhere in such position, and means operable simultaneously for springing the sides of the rear frame member apart to free them from the locking blocks, said means including cam levers pivoted to the forward frame member and movable into engagement with each other whereby movement of one will cause the projection of both into engagement with the sides of the rear frame member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

COVERT B. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

